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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24950614">Cat’s Cradle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosage/pseuds/Rosage'>Rosage</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Arcana (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ensemble Cast, Gen, Post-Canon, Some pre-relationship Portia/Nadia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:56:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24950614</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosage/pseuds/Rosage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Portia spends her birthday caring for others, until she becomes embroiled in a mysterious treasure hunt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cat’s Cradle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Portia is serving breakfast when Nazali turns to Nahara, their whisper carrying just enough to overhear. “Have you heard of Old Hexbeard’s treasure?”</p><p>Lingering, Portia tops off Nahara’s full water glass. Nahara thanks her and says, “Who hasn’t?”</p><p>After adjusting Nahara’s silverware, she has to move on. Natiqa, bless her, raises the conversation’s volume by leaning across the table. “Did you have a juicier tidbit to share?”</p><p>“I’ve heard conspiracies, of course. But the rumors led here—to somewhere deep within Vesuvia’s palace,” Nazali says. Natiqa spears an olive from their plate before leaning back again. “Aren’t informants the ones who get paid?” Nazali asks her.</p><p>“Not when you’re a master negotiator. Can you corroborate their intel, Nahara?”</p><p>“The local pirates couldn’t disprove it.”</p><p>“Magic jewelry, was it?”</p><p>“I would have to find it to know.”</p><p>Portia can’t hide the curve of her lips—until she returns to Nadia, who’s quiet at the table’s head. She seems serene as she sips her tea and surveys the others, but Portia stands vigilant at her elbow.</p><p>According to Hestion, the princesses will be scarce today. That doesn’t stop Portia from hovering, testing the air with a proverbial knife for tension. Though the family’s last visit ended amicably, it was still Portia’s fault the whole mess got dumped on Nadia, and if things go south…</p><p>She bends to whisper in Nadia’s ear. “Are you all right, milady?”</p><p>Nadia smiles up at her, and Portia eases despite herself. “Yes, thank you. I am just enjoying the ambiance. Why don’t you join us?”</p><p>“Oh, I could never,” Portia says, halfway to sitting. Before she can, Babouche hurries over.</p><p>“Portia, ma’am, we have a problem—pardon me, Milady,” he says with a quick bow. Portia straightens and leads him away from the table. The prized birds, he tells her, got into the guest rooms. “A small fortune in clothes could be ruined. Imagine the diplomatic disaster.”</p><p>Portia puts a hand on his shoulder. “Breathe, Babouche. Fetch the bird handlers and have the cleaning staff stand by.”</p><p>“Right,” he says, and rushes off.</p><p>When nobody is watching, Portia rubs her temples, her heart rate spiking. She was the one who recommended the rooms overlooking the gardens, thinking Nasmira would like the view. How could Portia have forgotten to lock them? A burglar could have snuck in.</p><p>The <em>what ifs </em>continue until the birds are herded away and the rooms scrubbed.</p><hr/><p>The Satrinavas disperse, giving Portia no chance to learn about that treasure. Not that she has time. The new hires are split between those can’t follow directions, and those who ask her advice on every detail. She channels Mazelinka as she gives them all firm but encouraging words.</p><p>Breathing room comes in Nadia’s chambers, where she braids her lady’s hair for an afternoon ride. They chat easily while Portia weaves the thick locks. Though still gauging Nadia’s mood, Portia hoards this time with her; their usual evening tea is unlikely, with so many guests.</p><p>It would have been a nice way to end Portia’s birthday. Not that she’s paying attention to that. Pepi delivered a live mouse that morning before releasing it, enough of a boost to her day.</p><p>Nadia adds a more important item to her to-do list. “There have been noises in the spiral corridor at night.”</p><p>“I’ll look into it. And if there’s anyone suspicious, I’ll wallop’em for you.”</p><p>“Thank you. I feel much safer with you around.” She pats Portia’s arm before inspecting the braids. “Immaculate, as always. Ah, I had a message for your brother.” She digs out a folded square of parchment, which Portia tucks away despite her curiosity. Ilya’s knowledge of a certain rumor piques her interest more.</p><hr/><p>On the way to Ilya, Portia passes the veranda. Pepi careens over it to weave, yowling, around Portia’s legs.</p><p>“Ooh, sweetie, are you hungry?” Portia bends to pick her up. Pepi oozes out of her arms and darts back outside. She leads Portia around a pillar, into one of the new hires. “I’m so sorry, my cat was just—what’s wrong?”</p><p>Portia rubs the tip of the newbie’s nose where she smacked into it, her thumb coming away wet from tears. Only a few inches taller than her, they shrink. “I didn’t mean to!”</p><p>“There, there. Didn’t mean to what?”</p><p>Pepi rubs against the newbie’s ankles. Apparently, they let the birds in while airing out the guest rooms, as awe at the breeds distracted them.</p><p>“I did something similar my first week here, but I was never brave enough to own up to it,” Portia says. “Help the bird handlers out during our guests’ stay, and I’ll keep this between us, deal?” She winks, and they brighten. Pepi purrs in Portia’s arms while she continues her search for Ilya.</p><p>She finds him in the library, hunched over his desk. Pepi betrays her by jumping into his lap and purring louder. He holds her away from his already blotchy papers and takes Nadia’s note, which he unfold, reads, and quickly refolds. Portia perches against his desk.</p><p>“What do you know about Old Hexbeard?” she asks. He looks over his shoulder before leaning in.</p><p>“Where did you hear about her?”</p><p>“I have my sources. Is she a friend of yours?”</p><p>“Any friends of hers ended up walking the plank. Old Hexbeard, she never joined them in a Captain’s death at sea. They say she…” He shudders. Pepi beeps and swats his stomach.</p><p>“She what?”</p><p>“She died beneath this very palace. Trapped in a, er, trap of her own making.” He waves his arms, and Pepi leaps from his lap to a bookshelf. He pets her in recompense.</p><p>“What kind of trap?”</p><p>“That’s the thing, nobody knows. She cast hexes on her treasure to foil thieves. In the end, she forgot how to undo the curse. Even now, her spirit haunts the spiral corridor, trying to get at—”</p><p>“The spiral corridor?” Portia asks, loud enough to startle Pepi again. “Milady just asked me to look into that.”</p><p>“Oh. No, no, I should have said nothing,” Ilya says, draping an arm over his forehead. “She’ll make you walk the plank, too! Into a pit of, er, snakes! And man-eating voles!”</p><p>“Did you forget I helped save the palace? Worry about your illegible notes.”</p><p>She leaves in a huff, Pepi padding after her.</p><hr/><p>Portia takes her lunch break just before supper. With a torch in hand and Pepi at her heels, she uses a secret passage to the spiral corridor, a labyrinth of curving tunnels. She’s marked most of them on her secret palace map, branded in her memory from late nights studying and dreaming.</p><p>“Imagine, Pepi! Real treasure from a real ghost pirate,” she says. Not that she believes all of Ilya’s stories, but it’s more fun to pretend even the man-eating voles are real. Everything but the snakes. She shivers and keeps chatting to Pepi. The only other sound is water dripping on stone, like she’s in a cove.</p><p>A rattling noise silences her. Chains seem to shake and drag against the ground. Pepi presses close as Portia continues on, clutching her torch in front of her like a weapon.</p><p>She walks in what feels like a circle, then a figure eight. Her mental map wouldn’t lead her astray, even with the path seeming to spin—right?</p><p>“I wonder what the magic jewelry did,” she whispers. “Protect her from cannon fire? Call waves upon her enemies?”</p><p>A moan interrupts her. Her hand slides against the wall, running over metal. She waves her torch across a complex set of locks, not unlike the library door, though simpler than Nadia’s masterpiece. Pulling a pin out of her hair, she examines the mechanism. Its outline forms the shape of a ship. She muffles a squeal.</p><p>“This has to be Old Hexbeard’s trap.”</p><p>How to disengage it, though? If only she’d gotten ahold of the princesses, or asked Ilya for more details. She wracks her brain to recall his story.</p><p><em>She’ll make you walk the plank</em>.</p><p>One of the locks takes the place of the ship’s plank. As she undoes the locks, she avoids budging the board-shaped piece. One lock in the sails clicks. Another on the deck follows.</p><p>A louder moan interrupts. Steady tapping sounds through the hall. A peg leg, drawing close.  </p><p>Portia works faster, trying to steady her hand as she jiggles the locks, her ear pressed to the wall. Another click. Pepi vibrates against her foot.</p><p>The final lock clicks, making gears spin with a whir. Portia presses the wall and falls into a chamber.</p><p>Light blinds her. She blinks away spots. Atop a pedestal, a chest overflows with…</p><p>Pastries? Portia follows her nose to bread pudding, honey cake, and bags spilling over with small, round cookies.</p><p>“<em>Boo</em>.”</p><p>The chorus of voices almost makes Portia’s spirit depart. Around the chamber, her friends and family grin at her. Even the turtle atop Nafizah’s head seems to understand more than Portia.</p><p>“What is all this?” she asks.<br/><br/>“What does it look like? A surprise party,” Mazelinka says.</p><p>Nadia clears her throat, and Ilya presents a cushion with a flourish. She plucks the crown from it, gold with rubies that shine in the light.</p><p>“Portia Devorak. You go above and beyond your duty to look after everyone, every day. Therefore, I hereby crown you today’s queen,” Nadia says, and places it on Portia’s head. Its weight doesn’t ground her. It’s all she can do to stay upright enough to keep it on.</p><p>“How do I look?”</p><p>Nadia steps back with an admiring gaze. “Lovely and regal, of course.” She rests a hand above her chest. “This is the first birthday of yours I am able to celebrate. I have very much looked forward to spoiling you,” she says, so genuine it makes Portia even dizzier.</p><p>“She outdid herself with that lock puzzle,” Nazali says.</p><p>“Oh, no, with more time I could have—”</p><p>“You made that? It was the coolest,” Portia says. Nadia’s cheeks darken in the warm light.<br/><br/>“My sisters certainly prepared eclectic decorations.”</p><p>Colorful silk banners and pirate flags adorn the wall. A red carpet leads up to the treasure chest, and large cushions and rocking chairs make the stone chamber homey.</p><p>“I do hope you like them,” Navra says. “<em>Pirate cove party</em> was such a stimulating prompt!”</p><p>“I,” Portia says, “I love…”</p><p>A wet hiccup interrupts her. So many hands spent the day putting this together, crafting, baking, scheming, all for <em>her</em>. All to give her her own mystery to solve.</p><p>Cradling Pepi, Nasmira speaks soothingly. “This is a lot to spring on such a busy person. Do you need a moment?”</p><p>“No, I’m fine, I’m just—I’m so confused!”</p><p>“You kept saying hogwash about how nobody needed to know it was your birthday,” Mazelinka says. “So Ilya put his blabbermouth to work until we had enough hands on deck.”</p><p>Portia rounds on Ilya, who looks too pleased with himself. “Snakes and man-eating voles, huh?”</p><p>“Is that what you came up with? My special effects didn’t match,” Asra says as he steps out of the wall. Faust flicks her tongue in agreement.</p><p>Portia clasps her hands. “It’s okay, those shrieks were really realistic.”</p><p>“Shrieks? I didn’t—oh.” He returns her feline smirk as Ilya gasps.</p><p>“As queen, I say Ilya has to investigate,” she says, earning a groan and a round of laughter.</p>
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